19 minutes agoAmerican Prosecutor's Flight Delays Actuals by Special Court
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)The departure of Special Court Prosecutor David Schwendiman from his position will delay the establishment of charges, foreign experts for Reuters news agency say, even though EU and Special Court officials, even Schwendiman himself, tried to convince him that his departure would not affect anything in the work of this [...]
The departure of Special Court Prosecutor David Schwendiman from his position will delay the establishment of charges, foreign experts for Reuters news agency say, even though EU and Special Court officials, even Schwendiman himself, tried to convince him that his departure would not affect anything in the work of this court.
In his statement of departure, David Schwendiman said his departure would not affect policies and change the functioning of the Prosecutor's Office. However, foreign experts see this differently.
Reuters writes Schwendiman, who has led investigations into alleged crimes in Kosovo, was close to establishing his first indictment and it will be difficult to replace now that he is leaving the prosecutor's position.
“This is certainly a step back”, said Isa Vukovic, an expert on war crimes, who is closely conveyed to the Special Court.
“Cka needs this institution is stability, as it is close to establishing the first charges and as it is being attacked by Kosovo politicians”, it has continued.
Schwendiman's departure comes shortly after a group of MPs demanded the abolition of the Special Court, which failed following pressure from the European Union and the US, Reuters writes, broadcast the Express.
And, Schwendiman's place, as announced by the Special Court, will eventually be held by his deputy, Kaai Hong Ip.
Schwendiman, in his announcement yesterday, said he was leaving the Special Court Attorney's position after his three-year job contract expired in late March and according to the law is not allowed to continue. While he indicated that his departure has nothing to do with the lack of commitment to investigations and that even without the Special Court it will continue its work similarly.
“While crimes committed by Serbian forces have received sentences from The Hague's Tribubal, most of the alleged crimes committed by UCK have not been covered. The Special Court is under Kosovo's jurisdiction, but operates in The Hague and has committed foreign lawyers in order to ensure independence from political influence”, Reuters article said at the end.
